The Department of Justice is reporting an increase in Indian Country criminal prosecutions.

According to The Tulsa World, federal prosecutors have handled 54 percent more cases since fiscal year 2009. In the eastern part of Oklahoma alone, cases rose from 9 in 2009 to 47 in 2012.

"I really do feel that progress has been made. The level of trust has risen across the board," Deputy Associate Attorney General Sam Hirsch told the paper.

Historically, the declination rate for prosecutions in Indian Country has been high. According to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, federal prosecutors declined to file charges in 52 percent of crime cases in 2011.

A 2009 report from the Government Accountability Office found that federal prosecutors turned down about 50 percent of cases between 2005 and 2009.

The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 requires DOJ to provide annual reports on the declination rates in Indian Country. The first report was issued in May 2013.

Get the Story:
Justice Department prosecuting more Indian Country crimes (The Tulsa World 11/4)

Department of Justice Report:
Indian Country Investigations and Prosecutions (May 2013)

Government Accountability Office Report "U.S. Department of Justice Declinations of Indian Country Criminal Matters":
Summary | Full Report